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Description
Heredity: A Very Short IntroductionThe concept of heredity is fundamental to how we see ourselves and others. It goes far beyond the obvious continuity of physical traits across generations. We routinely ascribe similarities in personality, intellect, outlook, and aptitude between family members to what's passed down in sperm and eggs. The simple idea that children take after their ancestors has long been central to science and medicine and to the breeding of plants and animals. It has
The concept of heredity is fundamental to how we see ourselves and others. It goes far beyond the obvious continuity of physical traits across generations. We routinely ascribe similarities in personality, intellect, outlook, and aptitude between family members to what's passed down in sperm and eggs. The simple idea that children take after their ancestors has long been central to science and medicine and to the breeding of plants and animals. It has also been used for ideological purposes to impute innate differences in character and rationality between males and females and among different ethnicities and social classes. Slavery, colonialism, and genocide, the unequal treatment of women, and the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of the few have been consistently rationalized in the language of heredity and 'natural' hierarchy. In this Very Short Introduction John Waller traces the diverse ideas about biological inheritance expressed by Europeans and their colonial descendants during two millennia of human history. He charts the changing ways in which scholars and laypersons have believed heredity to work, the development of spurious and self-serving beliefs about heredity by dominant groups, the recent revolution in our ability to understand the mechanics of heredity, and the difficult dilemmas our species is likely to face as we gain increasing mastery over the contents of our own genomes. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 10/24/2017
ISBN: 9780198790457
Pages: 144
Weight: 0.25lbs
Size: 6.80h x 4.30w x 0.50d
Review Citations: Choice 09/01/2018
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4.9 ★★★★★
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
How to capture the import of an entire war by writing on its end
Format: Kindle
The authors seamlessly cover ed the macro and micro accounts of events and participants to capture the stunning and all important end of WWII. I was engaged and stimulated throughout my read of this book and highly recommend it for enthusiasts who are conversant with the war and want a better understanding of its close.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2025
★★★★★ 4
World War II - The Final Months
Format: Hardcover
The book takes you through the final months of World War II, focusing on eight key moments when the fighting finally came to an end. It’s not just a dry rundown of facts or battle maps — the authors do a great job of bringing the people involved to life, from famous leaders to everyday soldiers and civilians caught in the chaos.
What I really liked was how the story moves around the globe, covering Europe, the Pacific, and beyond. It keeps the narrative fresh and exciting, giving a real sense of how the war unfolded on many fronts at once. Sometimes I had to pay close attention to keep up with all the locations and characters, but that only added to the feeling of being caught up in a fast-moving, gripping story rather than a history lesson.
What stood out most was how it made me feel the human side of history—the fear, the relief, and the confusion as the war finally ended. It’s full of details, but it never felt boring or too technical.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2025
★★★★★ 5
The Fix
Format: Hardcover
An insightful and interesting book on how our country's first legislators try to make sense of the new and fairly short U.S. Constitution, which, being drafted by humans, was bound to be imperfect. A lack of clarity on some point might be due to the changeable nature of words themselves or to confusion or obscurity of thought by the authors. And, who were the authors? The men in the room who came up with the product or the various state conventions that approved the final product?
Professor Gienapp writes well and with a fine grasp of his subject. He uses concrete examples to illustrate his main points. For example, Congressional debates over the constitutionality of a proposed federal bank, the ratification of Jay's Treaty, and even whether the Bill of Rights was to be incorporated into or simply added to the original document.
Most people think of U.S. constitutional history in terms of its drafting and ratification and/or its later judicial interpretation by the Supreme Court. Here, Professor Gienapp focuses on the initial work of interpretation by the first few sessions of Congress.
This book is essential reading for those interested in the U.S. Constitution and the internal architecture of our government. I think those who spend countless hours viewing frenetic talking heads say this or that about the constitutionality of some issue or another (or the nomination of a justice to the High Court) should throw their television set out the window and, instead, settle into a corner chair and calmly read this and other such thoughtful books.
This one should win prizes.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2018
★★★★★ 5
Excellent Book
Format: Hardcover
Stanford University History Professor Gienapp has done an outstanding job of researching and writing this historical analysis of the interpretation of the American Constitution by America's first Congress. Professor Gienapp analyzes data primarily from Congress's problems interpreting the removable of executive officers, chartering a national bank and approval of the 1794 Treaty with Great Britain negotiated by Chief Justice John Jay, the "Jay Treaty." Gienapp shows in clear writing how Congress used records of the debates at the Constitutional Convention and State Ratification Conventions to resolve these constitutional issues. I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned with the interpretation of the American Constitution.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2020
★★★★★ 5
An analysis of how we came to think about the Constitution the way we do
Format: Kindle
It provides a detailed analysis of the arguments used to talk about the Constitution in the ten years after it was ratified. These arguments shifted from treating it as a preliminary draft to be perfected through filling in the details of the operation of the government through experience, to a sacred document that had to be interpreted to determine its "true" meaning.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2018
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